We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

Educational fads never do half the good, nor half the harm, that is predicted.

Poor students are probably heavily dependent on having good teachers, and hopefully a magical one along the way. Good students and average students - it doesn't matter. Don't let them get beat up. Try to reduce the useless or inaccurate stuff they are taught. That's it. There's no hard evidence anything else matters.

Do we really think, though, that abolishing mandatory education would have no effect at all? In other words, is the idea only that no change we can think of would improve current results, but there are things we can do that would degrade them?

I'm somewhat inclined to think that the only things that matter are the physical safety of the kids, limiting the crackpot theories that get stuffed in their heads, and providing them with access to educational materials that they may or may not be interested in pursuing. The ones for whom learning is important and/or a pleasure and/or a natural gift will pick it up. There may not be much we can do for the others.

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